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The Dark Sanctuary #1
Eden Rising: The Dark Sanctuary, Book 1
After men declared war on women, the world fell apart.
In a not-so-distant future, women outnumber men 7 to 1, and no one can explain it.
Threatened by this mysterious phenomenon, the government impulsively passes new abortion laws and strips women of their rights.
Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Eve Malum watches the riots and protests through her television screen, terrified of the America she no longer recognizes. Unlike her mother and sister, however, she doesn’t have the courage to go out there and demand freedom for all women.
She isn’t like them. She isn’t a fighter.
But when something tragic happens, Eve becomes someone else… someone who will stop at nothing until justice is served, even if that means getting blood on her hands.
Chilling, twisted, and frighteningly vivid, Eden Rising will draw listeners into a dark dystopian world like no other.
*PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS EDEN
In a not-so-distant future, women outnumber men 7 to 1, and no one can explain it.
Threatened by this mysterious phenomenon, the government impulsively passes new abortion laws and strips women of their rights.
Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Eve Malum watches the riots and protests through her television screen, terrified of the America she no longer recognizes. Unlike her mother and sister, however, she doesn’t have the courage to go out there and demand freedom for all women.
She isn’t like them. She isn’t a fighter.
But when something tragic happens, Eve becomes someone else… someone who will stop at nothing until justice is served, even if that means getting blood on her hands.
Chilling, twisted, and frighteningly vivid, Eden Rising will draw listeners into a dark dystopian world like no other.
*PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS EDEN
Audible Audio
Published March 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
Want to read
February 8, 2025This is sounding scarily like the future 😔
Definitely higher up on my tbr
Definitely higher up on my tbr
September 13, 2022
3.5 Stars
Interesting idea and concept. A world where women out number men 7-to-1, the remaining men are now trying to take things into their own hands to try to "rebalance" the world.
I'm usually okay with multiple POVs and flash backs but I felt like it was too much, making the story drag more than it should. Also it kind of took away from the story. Especially if you're not able to read in long sittings.
Overall, the story is still really good and I enjoyed it, especially after the 50% mark.
***I would like to thank BookSirens, Shade Owens, & Ash S-J for graciously providing a copy of the novel for me to read & review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Interesting idea and concept. A world where women out number men 7-to-1, the remaining men are now trying to take things into their own hands to try to "rebalance" the world.
I'm usually okay with multiple POVs and flash backs but I felt like it was too much, making the story drag more than it should. Also it kind of took away from the story. Especially if you're not able to read in long sittings.
Overall, the story is still really good and I enjoyed it, especially after the 50% mark.
***I would like to thank BookSirens, Shade Owens, & Ash S-J for graciously providing a copy of the novel for me to read & review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
May 6, 2024
This took me a bit to get into. What I've learned is that for some reason, assaulting my husband with a lecture containing every detail and plot point about the book I'm reading that I'm not super into makes me see how good it really is. That happened with the last two books I was "meh" about.
This book is basically Handmaids Tale without religion, with some differences, but that's the easiest way to say it. The main one being the women won before Gilead happened but nothing went back to normal, or even a society. They're barely the same, actually, but it gets the gender violence point across pretty well to anyone reading this.
For a while, it was just a dystopian book with okay writing. Nothing new or super impactful, and it almost seemed like just a book written for angry feminists but not super well or interestingly. I happen to be an angry feminist, so I stuck with it because I'm tired of starting books and switching. And when I say okay writing, I mean it literally. It just seemed slightly deadpan, or the kind of writing that states things that don't need stated. Thoughts a character is having that are so obvious it's like the author thinks you're stupid. It's hard to explain, but if you've experienced that, you know what I mean. It wasn't anything to stop reading over, but also wasn't something I was completely engrossed in.
My main frustration was that it was taking so long to find out what "actually happened" during the war. The book alternates between 3 perspectives, with a "before" and "present day" going back and forth for each (so basically 6 perspectives which was very difficult at first for my adhd pea brain). Things that happened during the war are referenced or hinted at almost constantly, but the" before"s sooo sloooowly inched towards the actual shit that happened that it was stressful. Not a slow burn, persay, there's always crazy shit happening, but you want that desire to read something super fucked up to be scratched, yknow? Eventually I accepted that it was purposefully stretching it over the course of the book and in the end, it really made sense. I was mostly just being impatient. I figured that payoff was most of the reason I was still reading it and it was frustrating.
But somewhere around 50% all the set up came together so it could really get into the story, the author hit their groove in earnest, and the story got so good and compelling and addicting.
I will say this book absolutely needs some tws for sexual assault, rape, and almost every kind of violence. That being said, the plot was so good. Eventually, the characters were so good. Even before I fell in love with the main characters, the book is really good at making you hate the people you're supposed to hate. Those descriptions are top notch.
Imagining the world in this book is unfortunately too easy, but also so fucking crazy. None of it seems unbelievable. Even just the scene with the news anchors was so fucking accurate and perfectly something that would absolutely happen that it hurt.
I never really fell in love with Lucy but I am so fucking excited to see where it all goes with Eve and Gabriel and even Zack. So glad I stuck with this.
This book is basically Handmaids Tale without religion, with some differences, but that's the easiest way to say it. The main one being the women won before Gilead happened but nothing went back to normal, or even a society. They're barely the same, actually, but it gets the gender violence point across pretty well to anyone reading this.
For a while, it was just a dystopian book with okay writing. Nothing new or super impactful, and it almost seemed like just a book written for angry feminists but not super well or interestingly. I happen to be an angry feminist, so I stuck with it because I'm tired of starting books and switching. And when I say okay writing, I mean it literally. It just seemed slightly deadpan, or the kind of writing that states things that don't need stated. Thoughts a character is having that are so obvious it's like the author thinks you're stupid. It's hard to explain, but if you've experienced that, you know what I mean. It wasn't anything to stop reading over, but also wasn't something I was completely engrossed in.
My main frustration was that it was taking so long to find out what "actually happened" during the war. The book alternates between 3 perspectives, with a "before" and "present day" going back and forth for each (so basically 6 perspectives which was very difficult at first for my adhd pea brain). Things that happened during the war are referenced or hinted at almost constantly, but the" before"s sooo sloooowly inched towards the actual shit that happened that it was stressful. Not a slow burn, persay, there's always crazy shit happening, but you want that desire to read something super fucked up to be scratched, yknow? Eventually I accepted that it was purposefully stretching it over the course of the book and in the end, it really made sense. I was mostly just being impatient. I figured that payoff was most of the reason I was still reading it and it was frustrating.
But somewhere around 50% all the set up came together so it could really get into the story, the author hit their groove in earnest, and the story got so good and compelling and addicting.
I will say this book absolutely needs some tws for sexual assault, rape, and almost every kind of violence. That being said, the plot was so good. Eventually, the characters were so good. Even before I fell in love with the main characters, the book is really good at making you hate the people you're supposed to hate. Those descriptions are top notch.
Imagining the world in this book is unfortunately too easy, but also so fucking crazy. None of it seems unbelievable. Even just the scene with the news anchors was so fucking accurate and perfectly something that would absolutely happen that it hurt.
I never really fell in love with Lucy but I am so fucking excited to see where it all goes with Eve and Gabriel and even Zack. So glad I stuck with this.
April 16, 2023
Although I consider myself a feminist, I am really tired of these dystopian women-win titles. This is just another one.
November 24, 2024
Dnf - audiobook. Maybe better as a real book.
July 20, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have read Shade Owens' other dystopian series The Immortal Ones, which has a different tone to this series, but this first book in The Dark Sanctuary series definitely has me reaching for the second book, straight after.
So, despite the gender hatred in this book, which made me want to reach in and slap certain characters, this book was really well written.
Great character building and growth, amazing world building, fast-paced story.
I don't want to give anything away, so am not going to say more.
However, to add a trigger warning, which the author does as well at the beginning of the book:
1) Swearing
2) Violence
3) Sexual violence against women
4) Multiple points of view from three different characters
5) Constant movement between past and present (in the form of flashbacks)
This book is also recommended for mature readers (the author says 16+ but I'm not sure I agree with that, don't think I'd let my 17 year old read it, but that's just me.
Lastly, the authors are no man haters, which you'd wonder at reading this book. However, it goes both ways, there is some equal gender hatred going on in this book.
Oh wait, this is the last lastly: I am not a feminist, I actually can get quite riled up by feminism, and this book is dripping in it, so be warned. However, despite my personal views on feminism, I really loved this book, so don't let that stop you.
I have read Shade Owens' other dystopian series The Immortal Ones, which has a different tone to this series, but this first book in The Dark Sanctuary series definitely has me reaching for the second book, straight after.
So, despite the gender hatred in this book, which made me want to reach in and slap certain characters, this book was really well written.
Great character building and growth, amazing world building, fast-paced story.
I don't want to give anything away, so am not going to say more.
However, to add a trigger warning, which the author does as well at the beginning of the book:
1) Swearing
2) Violence
3) Sexual violence against women
4) Multiple points of view from three different characters
5) Constant movement between past and present (in the form of flashbacks)
This book is also recommended for mature readers (the author says 16+ but I'm not sure I agree with that, don't think I'd let my 17 year old read it, but that's just me.
Lastly, the authors are no man haters, which you'd wonder at reading this book. However, it goes both ways, there is some equal gender hatred going on in this book.
Oh wait, this is the last lastly: I am not a feminist, I actually can get quite riled up by feminism, and this book is dripping in it, so be warned. However, despite my personal views on feminism, I really loved this book, so don't let that stop you.
July 31, 2022
I loved the concept of this story. It’s very relevant to today’s society while also showing the pitfalls of being too far on any end of the spectrum. The book flips between different POVs and time frames which I don’t mind, but it did make getting a grip on what was going on in the story take a little longer than usual. That being said though, once I got into it I did like it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 12, 2022
Ugh, this book felt horribly put together. There are three main characters you are flipping between and then also in time. It seemed a totally unnecessary way to tell the story. The first page is supposedly the Prologue, but it's actually an event in the middle of the story.
It felt very incoherent and it didn't have much depth.
It felt very incoherent and it didn't have much depth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
I just hope that the world doesn’t end up like that. If you like dystopian literature you are going to like this.
July 29, 2022
Righteous female rage? Yes, please.
These days I'm a sucker for feminist dystopian novels, and there were a lot of things to like about this book. The setup doesn't seem as extreme as it would have five years ago… We now live in a country where women no longer have agency over their own bodies, and plenty of Republicans would like to limit women's ability to travel freely. So, without leaking spoilers, I would say the world in this book is just a long field goal away from our current reality.
The structure is interesting and works well. Each chunk is from the point of view of one character, first seen in their "present" and then seen in their "past." There are three POV characters, 2 female and one male.
The writing is reasonably graceful and has good dialog, and the texture and description needed to bring the writer's world alive.
So why not 5 stars? Part of it is that the plot is basically a feminist "Animal Farm." It works as a fable, but is not totally believable. So, surprise, if you create an all-female mini-society, you end up with bullies and tyrants anyway. (And, of course, an all-female society needs to figure out a way to generate babies without men or they won't last long. This does not seem to be a concern of the characters in the book.)
The thing that really bothered me is that the "good guy" male character (Gabriel like the angel, ouch) mansplains the heck out of the (cliffhanger) ending. It's very jarring, and I found it odd that such a feminist book went there. After being the "sensitive guy" all the way through the book, he becomes the male savior in the last few pages. That drove me nuts.
This book is the first in a trilogy, and although the ending is technically a cliffhanger, it is not unexpected. It's a straightforward pivot to the next book.
Full disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an advance copy.
These days I'm a sucker for feminist dystopian novels, and there were a lot of things to like about this book. The setup doesn't seem as extreme as it would have five years ago… We now live in a country where women no longer have agency over their own bodies, and plenty of Republicans would like to limit women's ability to travel freely. So, without leaking spoilers, I would say the world in this book is just a long field goal away from our current reality.
The structure is interesting and works well. Each chunk is from the point of view of one character, first seen in their "present" and then seen in their "past." There are three POV characters, 2 female and one male.
The writing is reasonably graceful and has good dialog, and the texture and description needed to bring the writer's world alive.
So why not 5 stars? Part of it is that the plot is basically a feminist "Animal Farm." It works as a fable, but is not totally believable. So, surprise, if you create an all-female mini-society, you end up with bullies and tyrants anyway. (And, of course, an all-female society needs to figure out a way to generate babies without men or they won't last long. This does not seem to be a concern of the characters in the book.)
The thing that really bothered me is that the "good guy" male character (Gabriel like the angel, ouch) mansplains the heck out of the (cliffhanger) ending. It's very jarring, and I found it odd that such a feminist book went there. After being the "sensitive guy" all the way through the book, he becomes the male savior in the last few pages. That drove me nuts.
This book is the first in a trilogy, and although the ending is technically a cliffhanger, it is not unexpected. It's a straightforward pivot to the next book.
Full disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an advance copy.
August 2, 2022
I received a digital review copy of this book for free from the author and BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily as a courtesy.
I have to say that Shade Owens is a master at writing dystopian horrors through a feminist lens. This book was no exception! A gender imbalance across the globe where women outnumber men 7 to 1, and the passing of strict anti-abortion laws in the United States sparks a war between men and women. Soon, the U.S. goes dark and technology is a thing of the past. Women must band together to remain safe and build a new, more just world in a place called Eden.
This story follows Eve, a pacifist turned fighter; Lucy, Eve's goddaughter and the one who questions everything; and Gabriel, a Black Marine who railed against the atrocities men committed against women in the gender war and is one of the "good guys". Told through the POV of all three and spanning through time from the present to the past and back again, this dystopian tale hit very close to home with the current state of affairs in the U.S. concerning women's rights and abortion.
I was absolutely enthralled from the moment I started reading up until the very end! I loved the multiple POVs and use of flashbacks to truly tell the story. Great read and I can't wait to dive into the next book, Eden Falling! I highly recommend this read for all adult readers, especially given the current climate in the world.
CW: Rape, sexual assault, general violence, violence against women, and war. Not for readers younger than 16!
I have to say that Shade Owens is a master at writing dystopian horrors through a feminist lens. This book was no exception! A gender imbalance across the globe where women outnumber men 7 to 1, and the passing of strict anti-abortion laws in the United States sparks a war between men and women. Soon, the U.S. goes dark and technology is a thing of the past. Women must band together to remain safe and build a new, more just world in a place called Eden.
This story follows Eve, a pacifist turned fighter; Lucy, Eve's goddaughter and the one who questions everything; and Gabriel, a Black Marine who railed against the atrocities men committed against women in the gender war and is one of the "good guys". Told through the POV of all three and spanning through time from the present to the past and back again, this dystopian tale hit very close to home with the current state of affairs in the U.S. concerning women's rights and abortion.
I was absolutely enthralled from the moment I started reading up until the very end! I loved the multiple POVs and use of flashbacks to truly tell the story. Great read and I can't wait to dive into the next book, Eden Falling! I highly recommend this read for all adult readers, especially given the current climate in the world.
CW: Rape, sexual assault, general violence, violence against women, and war. Not for readers younger than 16!
January 7, 2023
Awful just utter tosh.
Read
August 10, 2023DNF @ 30% I couldn't get into this one, it's a bit bleak and I would prefer something a bit lighter
July 17, 2022
Eden Rising is unlike any book I have read in so many ways but at the same time, it is very much like a lot of other books I have read in the dystopian genre. Eden Rising grabbed my attention with the summary. Once I read the summary I was hooked. I had to read it as it reminded me of what is going on in our world today.
Eden Rising is one of the best introductions to a new world I have ever seen. In ways, it also reminded me of The Hunger Games with the rules and regulations that are placed on women and their rights and the way the women live.
Women were beginning to outnumber men by 7 – 1 so of course, the men had to put a stop to it as they were afraid that the women would rise up and take control of them. They took away women’s rights to their own bodies.
Eden Rising is told from three different points of view. Parts of the story are told in flashbacks giving insight into what happened to the world and how it came to be where it is now. The flashbacks help you to know how the world came to be so divided.
Eden Rising is a world filled with greed, hate, evil, cruelty, and vindictiveness. It is a chilling and twisted read that will make you shiver from head to toe on some occasions. There are times that it will have you in tears and times that you will be filled with rage making you want to reach in and give some of the characters a great big shake or two or maybe even a little bit more than that.
Eden Rising had my emotions in turmoil but even so, I would still read the rest of the series as I am hooked now. What will happen next? Where will the next book in The Dark Sanctuary lead?
If you are into bone-chilling, twisted, and evil stories then I do believe you may enjoy reading Eden Rising. But I must warn you it does contain some violent scenes that could be triggers for some. Grab your copy of Eden Rising today to see how closely related it is to what is going on in our world today!
Eden Rising is one of the best introductions to a new world I have ever seen. In ways, it also reminded me of The Hunger Games with the rules and regulations that are placed on women and their rights and the way the women live.
Women were beginning to outnumber men by 7 – 1 so of course, the men had to put a stop to it as they were afraid that the women would rise up and take control of them. They took away women’s rights to their own bodies.
Eden Rising is told from three different points of view. Parts of the story are told in flashbacks giving insight into what happened to the world and how it came to be where it is now. The flashbacks help you to know how the world came to be so divided.
Eden Rising is a world filled with greed, hate, evil, cruelty, and vindictiveness. It is a chilling and twisted read that will make you shiver from head to toe on some occasions. There are times that it will have you in tears and times that you will be filled with rage making you want to reach in and give some of the characters a great big shake or two or maybe even a little bit more than that.
Eden Rising had my emotions in turmoil but even so, I would still read the rest of the series as I am hooked now. What will happen next? Where will the next book in The Dark Sanctuary lead?
If you are into bone-chilling, twisted, and evil stories then I do believe you may enjoy reading Eden Rising. But I must warn you it does contain some violent scenes that could be triggers for some. Grab your copy of Eden Rising today to see how closely related it is to what is going on in our world today!
July 25, 2022
I just finished Eden Rising and wow, what a ride! There's so much of this book that aligns with today's political climate that it was creepy and surreal and yet I couldn't get enough. There are so many moments of pain, loss and traumatic events in this story that it was hard to read a few times but I'm glad I pushed through. My heart broke over and over for Eve and so many other characters. But I also wanted to shake Eve at times and ask her what she was thinking?! The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because some details in the timeline didn't add up for me. Without giving away spoilers, I'd like to know about the decomposition rate of bodies and why there were still so many when it had been 7 or 8 years as far as I could tell. Where were the rest of the survivors that were discussed? Overall though, it was an amazing read and I am so excited to read the rest of the series!! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own
August 8, 2022
Wow, wow, wow! I just finished reading Eden Rising by Shade Owens and I cannot wait to start the next book in this series. Dystopian thrillers are one of my favorite tropes and Eden Rising does not disappoint. The reader is immediately plunged into a near future America where men and women have been at war. I felt such strong emotions from the beginning including fear, outrage and disbelief. The world that Shade Owens builds is scary because it is one that feasibly could happen at any time.
Eden Rising is told from the perspective of 3 key individuals who we follow in the (future) present day as well as getting glimpses into each one's past. The thrill level is high from beginning to end. Although this is the first book in a series the story does have a complete ending that sets up perfectly for the start of what's next to come.
I can't wait to see copies of this series showing up in books stores. I'm a sucker for print and will definitely be buying this for my home library.
I received an ARC from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Eden Rising is told from the perspective of 3 key individuals who we follow in the (future) present day as well as getting glimpses into each one's past. The thrill level is high from beginning to end. Although this is the first book in a series the story does have a complete ending that sets up perfectly for the start of what's next to come.
I can't wait to see copies of this series showing up in books stores. I'm a sucker for print and will definitely be buying this for my home library.
I received an ARC from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 6, 2022
This is so good so real and so scary. I feel like we are living the first three chapters. The main trigger of the story is basically something that came out of the papers today. There are three story lines going on taken place in the present and in the past. All told from the perspective of the three main characters Lucy,Eve and Gabriel. In the past we walk with Lucy as a little girl Eve as a revolutionary and Gabriel a black marine all taking part during a time just before fall. And during the present we walk with all three characters as they deal with the shame and the secrets from the past. I’m probably gonna be reread this because there’s so much happening so fast that I feel like I might have missed some things. Honestly this entire story invokes very a lot of emotions. Really interested in seeing what happens next. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 29, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Very glad the author gave a heads up as the beginning on some potential "triggers" as well as a heads up that it was written in multiple points of view and switches between the present and the past.
In this book, the population is mostly women. The government tries to fix this by passing some laws, which in turn angers the women and they riot. Eden deals with a trauma, losing people she loves and ends up being a leader in a safe haven of only women. Lucy, who is a member of this safe haven has to choose what her future job will be and ends up finding out some secrets she's not supposed to know. Gabriel is biding his time with a group of rogue men who are very brash and want to take everything they can from any woman they find, including sex. Between the flashbacks and the present, these three end up interconnected.
I look forward to seeing how this series plays out!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In this book, the population is mostly women. The government tries to fix this by passing some laws, which in turn angers the women and they riot. Eden deals with a trauma, losing people she loves and ends up being a leader in a safe haven of only women. Lucy, who is a member of this safe haven has to choose what her future job will be and ends up finding out some secrets she's not supposed to know. Gabriel is biding his time with a group of rogue men who are very brash and want to take everything they can from any woman they find, including sex. Between the flashbacks and the present, these three end up interconnected.
I look forward to seeing how this series plays out!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 25, 2025
TW: rape
There were multiple rape scenes that were described IN DETAIL. It was disturbing. It really wasn’t necessary.
The premise of a book with a society that has women outnumber men 7-1 but men have called war on them seemed interesting. ********SPOILERS: But to my shock, instead of a feminist story about women taking down their oppressors, it made the main character into an evil cult leader. She hate men but also treats the women and girls she is leading terribly. Then of course there is a golden boy that shows up as the opposite of her. He despises men and secretly works against them until he can find a way out. I’m truly shocked at how high the rating of this book is. I only finished it because I thought it would get better at some point. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. I won’t be continuing the series.
There were multiple rape scenes that were described IN DETAIL. It was disturbing. It really wasn’t necessary.
The premise of a book with a society that has women outnumber men 7-1 but men have called war on them seemed interesting. ********SPOILERS: But to my shock, instead of a feminist story about women taking down their oppressors, it made the main character into an evil cult leader. She hate men but also treats the women and girls she is leading terribly. Then of course there is a golden boy that shows up as the opposite of her. He despises men and secretly works against them until he can find a way out. I’m truly shocked at how high the rating of this book is. I only finished it because I thought it would get better at some point. Spoiler alert: It didn’t. I won’t be continuing the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2022
Another first of a series, Eden Rising was a great read. Set in the near future, the male and female genders are at war with one another. An EMP sets them back to the dark ages, without electricity or any modern convenience. Surviving is all that anybody is trying to do, other than killing the opposite sex.
Eden Rising is a page-turner, ending in a cliffhanger, and a must-read if you’re into dystopian novels. This is my fifth book by Shade Owens and I've loved every one of them. She keeps me coming back for more.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with this free eBook. This is my honest review! My full review is on my blog at chocolatebookscats.com.
Eden Rising is a page-turner, ending in a cliffhanger, and a must-read if you’re into dystopian novels. This is my fifth book by Shade Owens and I've loved every one of them. She keeps me coming back for more.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with this free eBook. This is my honest review! My full review is on my blog at chocolatebookscats.com.
March 28, 2024
Written before Roe v Wade was reversed, this story is too scarily close to what the future of women in the USA is becoming in reality. Women are disregarded as people, stripped of rights, targeted for breeding but only for male offspring, finally raped, tortured, massacred as "asking for it." Good men are too few. Surviving women establish secret safe havens, far from men. But is anywhere safe? The things which are done to women in this book make it unsuitable for those younger and/or more sensitive readers. However, a suggested undertone is that not knowing what people are capable of can also put you at great risk from the same. Remove yourselves from danger but make certain all are aware of that danger and do not become complacent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2022
Something a little bit different, set in the near future, the world demographic has changed, women now outnumber men and men don't like it! Set in the US, the men in power start changing laws, eroding a women's right to choose with no male abortions allowed. Then the protests begin, so yet more measures, women are further marginalized, fired from public or military jobs. Then the war begins!! An inventive book, full of new ideas, well developed characters arround which the book centres itself, Eve, Lucy and Gabriel. A great read and I'm looking forward to starting book two of the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 25, 2022
Wow. This was a very intense read. It was well written with multiple main characters. They were surprisingly easy to keep track of as each of their stories was full and concise. Be aware, this is not a fast read. Many times I had to put it down and walk away. I think the recent reversal of Roe, at least for me, gave this book a whole new slant. A few years ago I might have thought this was a bit far fetched. Now, with women being denied medical care after a miscarriage due to archaic laws, the future looks grim. I hope with stories like this we can see the writing on the wall before it’s too late.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 26, 2022
OK so I’m not gonna lie, this book was a little difficult for me to get through. It has absolutely nothing to do with the author. This is a fantastic book. It has to do with how close all of the events in the book could be to true life one day.
Sooooo with that being said- I normally read romance novels so this was a little bit out of my normal genre. But I loved all of the characters in this book. This book was everything good and bad you want in a dystopian novel! I absolutely loved this book, but make sure to check your trigger warnings.
Can’t wait for book 2 & to add this series to my RL bookshelf
Sooooo with that being said- I normally read romance novels so this was a little bit out of my normal genre. But I loved all of the characters in this book. This book was everything good and bad you want in a dystopian novel! I absolutely loved this book, but make sure to check your trigger warnings.
Can’t wait for book 2 & to add this series to my RL bookshelf
December 18, 2022
Eden Rising - The Dark Sanctuary: Book 1 by Shade Owens - 4/5
TW: violence, sexual aggression towards women.
This is a great dystopia style story. This story is pretty intriguing. A world that is solely made up of women and the remaining men are trying to take over and set balance back to the world. We do get to read the story told from 3 different point of views - Eve, Lucy and Gabriel, along with some flash back which can be a pro and con depending on if you enjoy those.
I would recommend this book to others and look forwarding to finishing the series
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
TW: violence, sexual aggression towards women.
This is a great dystopia style story. This story is pretty intriguing. A world that is solely made up of women and the remaining men are trying to take over and set balance back to the world. We do get to read the story told from 3 different point of views - Eve, Lucy and Gabriel, along with some flash back which can be a pro and con depending on if you enjoy those.
I would recommend this book to others and look forwarding to finishing the series
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 11, 2023
I so wanted to like this, but it was so disappointing. One of my favourite books of all time, covers a War Between the Sexes .. Suzy McKee Charnas's Holdfast Chronicles series and I was hoping this would be in a similar vein.
It wasn't, but I gave it an extra star only because I actually got to the end by skimming over the worst of the predictable but implausible scenes.
I should have known better, I received the box-set as a freebie.
I could have forgiven the flimsy premise as a plot device, if there was any thought given to the characterisation, or plausible plot development. All the characters were shallow, cliche paper cutouts, and same with the plot.
It wasn't, but I gave it an extra star only because I actually got to the end by skimming over the worst of the predictable but implausible scenes.
I should have known better, I received the box-set as a freebie.
I could have forgiven the flimsy premise as a plot device, if there was any thought given to the characterisation, or plausible plot development. All the characters were shallow, cliche paper cutouts, and same with the plot.
January 5, 2025
Wow. Just wow.
Scary and intense, this book hooked me from chapter one! I love a good dystopian book, and as much as it upsets and infuriates me, I love a good women fighting back for their rights dystopian book.
This is no lighthearted read. This is a dark novel. There’s lots of death, abortion, rape, violence against women (okay, and men). Heavy as it is, you keep thinking about the events in this books, especially in light of today’s political atmosphere and the way the government is trying to take away women rights. It’s terrifying.
If you’re looking for a thought provoking dystopian read, this is it. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Scary and intense, this book hooked me from chapter one! I love a good dystopian book, and as much as it upsets and infuriates me, I love a good women fighting back for their rights dystopian book.
This is no lighthearted read. This is a dark novel. There’s lots of death, abortion, rape, violence against women (okay, and men). Heavy as it is, you keep thinking about the events in this books, especially in light of today’s political atmosphere and the way the government is trying to take away women rights. It’s terrifying.
If you’re looking for a thought provoking dystopian read, this is it. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
July 18, 2022
Eden Rising is Book 1 in The Dark Sanctuary Series by Shade Owens and Ash S-J. I thought that the authors wrote a different type of book. The story was told from the point of view of Eve, Lucy and Gabriel. The men and women are at war with each other and 70% of the world is now female. Eden is a hidden place with no men… at least until Gabriel finds it's location. I found this dystopian novel to have violence, death, profanity and definitely a battle of the sexes…. I am not sure who wins! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
July 27, 2022
I received an ARC for this so I want to give an honest review.
I didn't fully connect with the protagonists. The guy was too good, the leader was too bad, and the young girl was...actually I liked her. She's young and has grown up in a violent world.
A lot of it didn't make sense. Most women, in my experience, would be happy to go along with a male dominated world with forced male babies.
Even women who "hate" men- love men.
But I think we were getting to that point at the end so I'll have to dive in and read the next book.
I liked it enough.
I didn't fully connect with the protagonists. The guy was too good, the leader was too bad, and the young girl was...actually I liked her. She's young and has grown up in a violent world.
A lot of it didn't make sense. Most women, in my experience, would be happy to go along with a male dominated world with forced male babies.
Even women who "hate" men- love men.
But I think we were getting to that point at the end so I'll have to dive in and read the next book.
I liked it enough.
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